BACKGROUND:Heart failure (HF) represents an advanced stage of various cardiovascular disorders, with its elevated admission rates and resultant health economic burden posing an ongoing global concern. PURPOSE:To evaluate the health and economic benefits of herbal medicine (HM) for patients with HF. STUDY DESIGN:Population-based cohort study. METHODS:A five-year retrospective cohort study was carried out at a nationally recognized hospital in China. The study utilized propensity score matching (PSM) to match patients with HF. Chi-square tests were used to analyze dichotomous variables, and t-tests were employed for continuous variables. Logistic regression was used to examine hospital readmission rates, while multiple linear regression was utilized to evaluate direct medical costs. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS:After implementing PSM, 1924 HF patients were included in the analysis. The study identified two significant risk factors affecting the readmission rates: age over 65 years (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.25, 95 % confidence interval (CI) [1.02, 1.53]) and smoking (adjusted OR = 1.31, 95 % CI [1.01, 1.70]). Additionally, patients who received adjunctive HM treatment exhibited a significantly lower readmission rate compared to those without HM treatment (adjusted OR = 0.76, 95 % CI [0.64, 0.92]). Furthermore, the use of HM during patient hospitalization did not significantly impact direct medical expenses but instead provided positive health economic benefits (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) = 98.52). Factors influencing direct routine medical costs included over 65 years of age (Coef = 60.78, 95 % CI [36.25, 85.31]), and cardiac function classification (New York Heart Association (NYHA) III: Coef = 1979.92, 95 % CI [1401.82, 2558.03]; NYHA IV: Coef = 6052.48, 95 % CI [5166.59, 6938.38]). CONCLUSIONS:The integration of HM in patients with HF reduced readmission rates without a notable increase in direct medical costs, and the expense of HM remains an economically range indicating positive health economic outcomes.

BACKGROUND Myocardial fibrosis, a condition linked to several cardiovascular diseases, is associated with a poor prognosis. Stem cell therapy has emerged as a potential treatment option and the application of stem cell therapy has been studied extensively. However, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of these studies has yet to be conducted. AIM To map thematic trends, analyze research hotspots, and project future directions of stem cell-based myocardial fibrosis therapy. METHODS We conducted a bibliometric and visual analysis of studies in the Web of Science Core Collection using VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel. The dataset included 1510 articles published between 2001 and 2024. Countries, organizations, authors, references, keywords, and co-citation networks were examined to identify evolving research trends. RESULTS Our findings revealed a steady increase in the number of publications, with a projected increase to over 200 publications annually by 2030. Initial research focused on stem cell-based therapy, particularly for myocardial infarction and heart failure. More recently, there has been a shift toward cell-free therapy, involving extracellular vesicles, exosomes, and microRNAs. Key research topics include angiogenesis, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and oxidative stress. CONCLUSION This analysis highlights the evolution of stem cell therapies for myocardial fibrosis, with emerging interest in cell-free approaches. These results are expected to guide future scientific exploration and decision-making.

Abstract Background Huazhuo Tiaozhi granule (HTG) is a herbal medicine prescription, which is widely used in clinical practice for hypolipidemic effect. However, the molecular mechanism in treating dyslipidemia has not been well elucidated. Results In the clinical trial, a significant reduction in the levels of TC and LDL-C was observed in serum of dyslipidemia patients after HTG treatment without disruption of the levels of AST, ALT, BUN and Cr. Dyslipidemia rat model was induced by high-fat diet and treated with Xuezhikang (0.14g/kg/d) and HTG (9.33g crude herb/kg/d) by gavage, respectively for 8 weeks. The body weight and liver index were markedly downregulated in dyslipidemia rats after the treatment of Xuezhikang and HTG. HTG markedly ameliorated hyperlipidemia by significantly decreasing the levels of TC and LDL-C in serum and hepatic lipid accumulation. In vitro, lipid accumulation in L02 cells was alleviated after 20% HTG medicated serum treatment. Moreover, HTG sustains glycolytic rate analyzed by Seahorse assay. However, high lactylation was observed in a total of 198 proteins including RNA binding protein DDX17(K121) lactylation, HDAC1 (K412, K438), H2B (K6) and H4(K80) lactylation, which inhibited the biogenesis of miR-155-5p in vitro. Conclusions This study demonstrates that HTG is an effective and safe formula in treating dyslipidemia, which promoted lactylation level in hepatocytes resulting in retardation of miR-155-5p biogenesis.

Weijing Decoction is a famous prescription for the treatment of lung carbuncle. Through textual research,it is found that its original source is Gujin Luyan quoted from Waitai Miyao Fang. The original medicine types including reed stem, coix seed, peach seed are with the same name today, the melon petals should be melon seeds, and the actual doses of reed stems, coix seeds, peach kernels and melon seeds in the drug dosage Gujin Luyan quoted from Waitai Miyao Fang are about 23, 76, 30 and 30 g, respectively. The doses of the four medicines in Prescriptions for Emergency Qianjin are about 44, 76, 18,30 g. And the dosages of the four medicines in The Synopsis of the Golden Chamber（Song version） are about 44, 76, 30, 30 g,respectively. In clinical application, it is recommended to start with the recorded dose of a small dose, and gradually increase the dose if it is not effective; the stem of the reed should be decocted first, and the medicine should be ‘vomited’ when taking; the clinical application of stem soup can be expanded after the combination of other Chinese herbal medicine.

Huazhuo Tiaozhi granule (HTG) is a herbal medicine formula widely used in clinical practice for hypolipidaemic effects. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying dyslipidaemia treatment have not been well elucidated. A significant reduction in the levels of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was observed in the serum of patients with dyslipidaemia after HTG treatment, without disruption in the levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cr). The dyslipidaemia rat model was induced by a high-fat diet and treated with Xuezhikang (0.14 g/kg/d) or HTG (9.33 g crude herb/kg/day) by gavage for 8 weeks. Body weight and liver index were markedly decreased in dyslipidaemic rats after treatment with Xuezhikang or HTG. HTG administration markedly ameliorated hyperlipidaemia by decreasing the levels of TC and LDL-C in serum and hepatic lipid accumulation. In vitro, lipid accumulation in LO2 and HepG2 cells was alleviated by serum treatment with HTG. High lactylation was observed in 198 proteins, including lactylation of histone H2B (K6), H4 (K80). Deep sequencing of microRNAs showed that miR-155-5p was significantly downregulated. This study demonstrates that HTG is an effective and safe formula for treating dyslipidaemia, which promotes lactylation in hepatocytes, and the retardation of miR-155-5p biogenesis.

BACKGROUND:Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a leading cause of ischemic heart disease. Over the past few decades, considerable progress has been made with respect to research on CMD. The present study summarized the current research hotspots and trends on CMD by applying a bibliometric approach.METHODS:Relevant publications between 2002 and 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection. Visualization network maps of countries, institutions, authors, and co-cited authors were built using VOSviewer. CiteSpace was used for keyword analysis and the construction of a dual-map overlay of journals and a timeline view of co-cited references.RESULTS:1539 CMD-related publications were extracted for bibliometric analysis. The annual publications generally showed an upward trend. The United States of America was the most prolific country, with 515 publications (33.5%). Camici P. G. was the most influential author, whereas the European Heart Journal, Circulation, and Journal of the American College of Cardiology were the most authoritative journals. Research hotspot analysis revealed that endothelial dysfunction as well as reduced nitric oxide production or bioavailability played critical roles in CMD development. Positron emission tomography was the most widely used imaging method for diagnosis. In addition, microvascular angina, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure have attracted much attention as the main clinical implications. Furthermore, international standards for CMD diagnosis and management may be the future research directions.CONCLUSIONS:This study offers a comprehensive view about the hotspots and development trends of CMD, which can assist subsequent researchers and guide future directions.

Ventricular remodeling is the progressive pathologic change of the original substance and morphology of the ventricle caused by various injuries and has attracted increasing attention in the past decade. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of articles on ventricular remodeling published in the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2012 to 2022 to understand the current research state in the field of ventricular remodeling and provide insights for clinicians and researchers. As a result, a total of 1710 articles on ventricular remodeling were included. Annual publications have been gradually increasing and have remained at a high level over the past 10 years. The United States of America contributed the most publications, followed by China. Circulation was the most mainstream and authoritative journal focusing on ventricular remodeling. Research hotspot analysis suggested that myocardial infarction was the primary risk factor for ventricular remodeling, and emerging risk factor studies have focused on pulmonary hypertension, aortic stenosis, and diabetes. The mechanisms in the pathogenesis of ventricular remodeling were mainly closely associated with inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and myocardial fibrosis. Intensive investigation of the interactions between different mechanisms might be a future research direction. In terms of treatment, cardiac resynchronization therapy was a hot topic of research. These findings can help researchers grasp the research status of ventricular remodeling and determine future research directions.